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LGHL Player to Watch: Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. is already a known commodity

Player to Watch: Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. is already a known commodity
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

We begin a month of players to watch with perhaps the most obvious choice.

Every day from now until the start of the season, Land-Grant Holy Land is highlighting Ohio State football players that you should be watching this season. Check out all of our ”Player to Watch” articles to get ready for the season opener against Indiana.

When it comes to the players to watch on the 2023 Ohio State Buckeyes, there is perhaps no more obvious choice than standout wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. By whatever metrics “best player” is measured by, Harrison has to be in the conversation when it comes to Ohio State.

Harrison arrived at Ohio State as a highly rated recruit, but he was still more of a legacy name than a future star when he got to Columbus. His work ethic and the skills he showed off in camp changed all of that. He was as good or better than the other Buckeye receivers in his recruiting class, as well as some of the guys who had been in the program for a year or two.

As a freshman, Harrison had to wait his turn behind three guys who are now in the NFL — Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Chris Olave, and Garrett Wilson. But he still appeared in 13 games his freshman season. His first career reception went for nine yards in a 59-7 drubbing of Akron on Sept. 25, 2021. He add a pair of receptions for 34 yards in a 54-7 win at Indiana that October. The tall freshman snatched two more grabs for 25 yards at Nebraska two weeks after the win over the Hoosiers.

Then, the balls stopped coming. Harrison did not have a reception against Purdue, Michigan State, or Michigan that season. But when Olave and Wilson sat out the Rose Bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft, it was Harrison’s time to shine. Harrison had a huge coming out party against Utah in the Rose Bowl, finishing with six receptions for 71 yards and three touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ 48-45 win over the Utes, and everyone in Buckeye Nation felt a little better about losing Olave and Wilson to the National Football League.

Entering 2022, Harrison was supposed to be one of the three starters, but it was Smith-Njigba who everyone expected to stuff the stat sheet for the Buckeyes. Unfortunately, an early injury that never quite healed up cost Smith-Njigba a promising final season in Columbus.

No matter. Harrison was more than up to the task of pairing with Emeka Egbuka and replacing JSN’s production.

Anyone who watched Ohio State play last year saw Harrison’s obvious quality. Statistically, he led the Buckeyes in about every receiving category: receptions (77), yards (1,263), yards per reception (minimum 10 receptions — 16.4 yards per catch), receiving touchdowns (14), receptions per game (5.9), and receiving yards per game (97.2). His 14 receiving touchdowns tied David Boston for the second-most in a season by any Buckeye receiver, just three behind Terry Glenn’s school record of 17.

Harrison finished the 2022 season as a unanimous All-American and won the Richter–Howard Award as the Big Ten’s receiver of the year. Had he not been the victim of an egregious targeting foul that wasn’t even called against Georgia in the Peach Bowl, he might well be entering the 2023 season as a member of the defending national champions.

After all, he had ripped through the vaunted Bulldog defense for five receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns on the night. It was one of seven games of 100+ receiving yards Harrison posted in 2022, and his fourth multi-touchdown game. A healthy Harrison for the final drive could have been the difference between going on to face TCU in the national championship and watching a field goal fly off line on the final offensive snap of the year.

Prior to Harrison’s three-touchdown game in the Rose Bowl as a freshman, 13 different players had managed three touchdown receptions or more in a game in the history of Ohio State football and none of them did it twice. Harrison did it three times in his first six starts and might have done it again vs. Georgia had he not been concussed in the end zone.


Obviously, it could have gone without saying that Marvin Harrison Jr. is a player to watch for Ohio State in 2023 (had I not said it). I didn’t have to tell you about Route Man Marv. You know. The reason to watch him in 2023 is because he’ll be playing on Sundays before you know it. Savor his OSU appearances while you can.

Another season like 2022 and a fruitful NFL career, and people won’t be calling him Marvin Harrison’s son anymore. They might be calling Marvin Harrison “Marvin Harrison Jr.’s dad.”

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LGHL Ohio State women’s basketball heads to Bahamas for November Pink Flamingo tournament

Ohio State women’s basketball heads to Bahamas for November Pink Flamingo tournament
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buckeyes face East Carolina and Oklahoma State in a tournament featuring fellow Big Ten schools

Tuesday, the Ohio State women’s basketball team brought its number of confirmed 2023-24 games from one to three. That’s when the Buckeyes announced on social media their involvement in the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship.

The Buckeyes are Bahamas bound in November! #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/LlFfQGFM7V

— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) August 1, 2023
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Ohio State’s involvement in the tournament was first reported on June 8, with the Pink Flamingo tournament already featuring eight confirmed teams. It took almost two months for the final word to come down that one of those spots is filled by the scarlet and gray.

The Buckeyes face two teams where there’s not much history between the sides. On Nov. 20, Ohio State faces the East Carolina Pirates of the American Athletic Conference.

Last season, the Pirates ended the season with a 23-10 record, good for third in the conference. However, a conference tournament run that included an upset win over the Memphis Tigers put East Carolina into the NCAA Tournament. The Pirates ultimately fell to the No. 4 Texas Longhorns 40-79.

East Carolina and Ohio State have only faced each other in women’s basketball once in the teams’ histories. On Dec. 30, 1978, the Buckeyes fell to the Pirates in a close 81-80 defeat. That season, the scarlet and gray ended their impressive three-year run as Big Ten champions with a 19-11 record.

On Nov. 22, Ohio State takes on the other OSU: Oklahoma State University.

Last season, the Cowgirls went 21-12 (10-8), earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid. The No. 8 seed lost in the first round to the Miami Hurricanes; the Cinderella story of the tournament.

Oklahoma State and Ohio State faced off only once too, this time with a Buckeyes victory on Nov. 22, 2009, a 93-72 win for the scarlet and gray.

While Ohio State was busy in the transfer portal, losing three players and adding three of their own, Oklahoma State’s had a big roster turnover. The Cowgirls added seven from the portal this offseason, after losing six following the early tournament exit. That’s because Oklahoma State head coach Jacie Hoyt is still building her team after joining the Cowgirls in 2022.

By November, all 10 teams at the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship will already be multiple games into the season, softening the overhaul of transfers some teams face entering the 23-24 season.

Joining the Buckeyes in the Bahamas are the Penn State Nittany Lions and Purdue Boilermakers. Penn State faces familiar teams in the tournament, taking on the Cowgirls on Nov. 20 and the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, the same Trojans side Ohio State starts its season against on Nov. 6

For the Boilermakers, they take on the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs, a tough pair of SEC teams. Here’s a full list of the matchups, also announced Tuesday along with the Buckeyes’ involvement.

2023 #BahaMarHoops Pink Flamingo Championship

@UGA_WBB
@CULionsWBB
@ECUWBB
@OhioStateWBB
@GatorsWBK
@PurdueWBB
@OSUWBB
@PennStateWBB
@USCWBB
@SHUWBB pic.twitter.com/W6d5hXBWk7

— Baha Mar Hoops (@BahaMarHoops) August 1, 2023
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All games in the tournament will air live on FloHoops. The Buckeyes game against East Carolina tips off at 1:30 p.m. ET and Oklahoma State and Ohio State start at 6:30 p.m. ET.

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Google Ohio State Buckeyes Commit Aaron Scott Trolls Michigan Wolverines During Announcement - Sports Illustrated

Ohio State Buckeyes Commit Aaron Scott Trolls Michigan Wolverines During Announcement - Sports Illustrated
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

  1. Ohio State Buckeyes Commit Aaron Scott Trolls Michigan Wolverines During Announcement Sports Illustrated
  2. Ohio State football recruiting: Four-star DB Aaron Scott commits to Buckeyes over Michigan CBS Sports
  3. Buckeyes 2024 cornerbacks class likely completed, focus turns to 2025 BuckeyeGrove.com

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LGHL Ohio State can’t keep losing EDGE rushers down the stretch; something — or someone — needs to change

Ohio State can’t keep losing EDGE rushers down the stretch; something — or someone — needs to change
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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Dylan Stewart | 247Sports

We all love Larry Johnson, but it might be time for him to pass the sticks.

It’s almost hard to write this considering that just yesterday there was at least some sort of positive vibe surrounding the recruitment, but the Buckeyes have lost out on another major defensive target in the 2024 class as two crystal ball predictions were flipped from Ohio State to South Carolina for five-star edge rusher, Dylan Stewart and shortly after, his commitment went public via social media.

BREAKING: Five-Star Plus+ EDGE Dylan Stewart tells me he has Committed to South Carolina!

The Top 10 Player in the ‘24 Class chose the Gamecocks over Ohio State, Georgia, & others

“It’s a special place with special people.”https://t.co/o2MgSNe22l pic.twitter.com/gsutOVvhPW

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) August 1, 2023
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Some background on the prospect, Stewart is a 6-foot-5, 235-pound athlete with over 30 offers to his name. A Friendship Academy product out of Washington D.C., Stewart has long been on Ohio State’s radar, and for some time it was thought that the Buckeyes would win this commitment as they received multiple crystal balls following the five-star’s June official visit.

For the past month, all looked good for the Buckeyes to add the No. 13 player in the country (and the third-rated edge rusher) in the class according to 247Sports’ Composite Ratings, but things began shifting in recent weeks as Stewart made multiple trips to Columbia, S.C.

What might have been the thing that sealed his commitment, the Gamecocks were once again able to get him back on campus this past weekend and clearly knocked this visit out of the park as the result has landed them the crown jewel of their class. It’s unfortunate for Ohio State’s staff because they would have loved to host Stewart at last weekend’s SummerFest, but his choosing to return to Columbia instead of Columbus was a pretty major hint as to where he would be heading.

Not a good look at all​


There’s no real easy way of saying it, but this is a really bad look for Ohio State’s defensive line coach Larry Johnson. Let me start by saying that LJ is still one of the best developers of the position in college football, but after going literally 0-for-3 in the 2023 class with elite edge rushers, he’s now following that up with another huge swing and miss not even a month after losing Chicago native, Marquise Lightfoot to Miami.


What makes this worse though is that like 2023’s top targets, Stewart and Lightfoot were players long considered Ohio State leans with multiple Buckeye predictions from the nation’s best recruiting analysts. However, for whatever reason — scheme, NIL, playing time, who knows — Johnson wasn’t able to close on any of them.

For years — dating back to his time at Penn State — Johnson has recruited the DMV (D.C.-Maryland-Virginia) better than anyone, so this loss hurts on multiple levels. Losing a DMV kid to South Carolina is just a punch to the gut. Sure, maybe the NIL deal in Columbia was too much to turn down, and that can be understandable, but this is becoming a trend and it has to stop.

The Buckeyes cannot afford to continue losing top-edge rushers each and every recruiting cycle. When the backbone of any solid defense is elite defensive line play and the staff keeps missing out on the guys they’re all-in on, that’s a terrible look plain and simple. Once is disappointing, twice is concerning, but three and four times is outright terrifying. If Stewart had been a kid from South (or even North) Carolina, you might chalk it up to wanting to stay closer to home.

But for Johnson to lose a player from a region of the country that has been his bread and butter for decades, might indicate that the shine is wearing off of the legendary coach and that his best might just not be good enough anymore.

For years, other programs have been negatively recruiting against LJ, telling top-end prospects that he is going to retire before their playing careers are done. Despite that, Johnson has reaffirmed his commitment to the program and his job. But let’s be honest, coaching is a young man’s game; intel around the program has been that Johnson does not communicate with recruits nearly as much as his colleagues and competition does.

Those things make a difference. Players want to know that they are a priority and if the longest-tenured coach on your staff isn’t willing — or able — to text with players to make that clear, then it might be time to initiate a succession plan.

Where to go from here​


Just two days following the major defensive addition of Aaron Scott, it would be understandable for some folks to suggest that the most anxious of Buckeye fans should take a deep breath and trust the staff, but I personally am over that when considering the defensive side of the ball as a whole.

Yes, Johnson somewhat surprisingly landed five-star defensive tackle Justin Scott earlier this month, but there is a big difference between DT and EDGE rusher in the importance of building a defense. Ohio State’s staff has flat-out not held up its end of the recruiting bargain and, clearly, it has shown on the field.

Offensively, Ryan Day and his crew have continued to mostly dominate despite the recruiting downturn, but it doesn’t take an expert to realize that the team’s defense has not been in the same arena as its offense in recent years. In fact, I think it is safe to say that had the defense been anywhere close to the offense’s level, it would have earned the Buckeyes at least one other national title over the past four seasons.

The only hope now at the EDGE rusher position in this class is for the Buckeyes to win out on five-star DE Eddrick Houston. The Georgia native has been crystal balled to Ohio State for nearly two months, but being in the middle of SEC country, no recruitment is safe until pen hits paper.

At any rate, Johnson needs to lock this one down and do whatever it takes to get the job done. Reports indicate that OSU will continue to recruit both Lightfoot and Stewart until Signing Day, so maybe one or both of them could end up in the class after all, but for now, not being able to land either of them is devastating.

How LJ handles his business — at least on the recruiting side — has to change. Whether it is changing his style or approach to communication or even in focusing more on NIL when talking to players and their families, the Buckeyes cannot afford to lose out on another elite edge rusher, especially with the turnover the position will almost certainly have this year as Johnson’s last two elite DE commits Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau will become draft eligible following the season.

Right now, being mad is completely warranted and probably the easiest reaction. The staff only has a few swings left and they better not strike out.

What If It Doesn’t Get Better?​


No one with any understanding of recruiting or high schoolers expects a program — even one with as national of interests as Ohio State, Alabama, or Georgia — to land every top prospect that it is in on. However, to be considered the leader on multiple five-star players only to lose them down the stretch is not a sustainable situation for any program.

So, if Johnson and company can’t close out this cycle with at least one more home run, it might be time to transition the Mount Rushmore position coach out. Whether that means he retires following the 2023 campaign and passes the sticks to someone who has worked under him in the past, or he transitions into a non-recruiting role within the program in which he still works with the players, developing their talent, but someone else is the face of the position, I don’t know. But this trend is not one that Ohio State can sustain for much longer.

The defense made moderate improvements in defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ first season — even if the stats were actually better than the production — but still collapsed in the team’s two most important games of the season. Because the DC runs a somewhat unique 4-2-5 defense — with the LEO/Jack position floating between a lineman and a linebacker — it can actually look more like a 3-3-5. However, LJ’s entire career — including recent recruiting — has been focused on playing four traditional down linemen.

If the legendary coach can no longer land the best talent to fit the system he’s always coached in, where is the value in having him bring guys built to play a system that the defensive coordinator no longer runs? If LJ was signing top-50 or even top-75 guys across the board, then you deal with the schematic differences, but that’s just not the case, especially at EDGE rusher.

There seems to be a fairly obvious difference of visions between Knowles and Johnson — as evidenced by Sawyer in the Jack position last year and how much Johnson rotated players, despite the fact that Knowles said that wasn’t his defensive philosophy.

I have long been a Larry Johnson fan and thought that he was essential to the development of the Buckeye program, but at age 71, it might be time for him to make a change.

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LGHL The Dotted Line Podcast: Now that Aaron Scott’s committed, who’s Ohio State’s next BOOM?

The Dotted Line Podcast: Now that Aaron Scott’s committed, who’s Ohio State’s next BOOM?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

kj_bolden_ryan_day.0.jpg

Twitter | @KhalilBolden2

Could Scott’s dramatic commitment lead to an explosion of defense talent?

On “The Dotted Line,” Land-Grant’s Matt Tamanini talks to recruiting experts, LGHL’s recruiting analysts, and prospects themselves to get a unique perspective on the players that will be a part of Ohio State’s future.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio​


On today’s episode, Matt Tamanini chats with Land-Grant’s recruiting analyst Caleb Houser to break down the importance of cornerback Aaron Scott’s commitment on the 2024 Ohio State recruiting class. They also discuss his colorful commitment ceremony, potential momentum building on the defensive side of the ball for the Buckeyes, and who else could be joining the class before the end of summer.

They close the episode off by getting hyped for Chris Henry Jr. to become a Buckeye, even though he won’t officially put on an Ohio State jersey for three years.


Connect with Caleb Houser
Twitter: @CalebHouser9

Connect with Matt Tamanini
Twitter: @BWWMatt

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LGHL Ohio State Football Countdown: 32

Ohio State Football Countdown: 32
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Wisconsin v Ohio State

Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

One play or big moment per day as we count down to the start of Ohio State’s 2023 football season.

As we count down to the start of the 2023 season, we will be looking back at one play or big moment in Ohio State history over the past decade or so that corresponds to the remaining days left until Buckeyes take the field against Indiana on Sept. 2. There are 32 days remaining.

Play of the Day: DeVier Posey’s 32-yard TD vs. Wisconsin (2009)​


The second play on this countdown to fall just outside of the prior decade, DeVier Posey makes this excellent snag against Wisconsin for a 32-yard touchdown in 2009. It was truly a different era of Ohio State football back then, as Posey led the team in this game with just two catches for 54 yards and the score. Terrelle Pryor attempted only 13 passes, completing five of them for 87 yards. The Buckeyes beat the Badgers 31-13, and this was the only TD scored on offense. Otherwise, Ohio State scored on a pair of pick-sixes, a kick return and a field goal.

Players to Wear the #32 (since 2010): ​

  • Storm Klein (2009-12)
  • Darryl Wood (2011)
  • Khaleed Franklin (2013)
  • Russell Doup (2013-14)
  • Elijaah Goins (2015-16)
  • Tuf Borland (2016-20)
  • TreVeyon Henderson (2021-present)
  • Brenten “Inky” Jones (2022-present)

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LGHL Ohio State offers four-star wide receiver, Miami commit

Ohio State offers four-star wide receiver, Miami commit
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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2024 four-star WR Chance Robinson via Andrew Ivins, 247Sports

The Buckeyes offered 2024 four-star wide receiver and Miami commit in an effort to close out another dominant WR class.

July was a big month for the Ohio State football team when it came to recruiting. The Buckeyes saw both wins and losses in July, but overall the month was a massive success for the program. This past month, the Buckeyes earned commitments from five-star defensive lineman Justin Scott and four-star cornerbacks Miles Lockhart and Aaron Scott. The team also earned a commitment from 2026 WR Chris Henry Jr. this past weekend.

Ohio State once again holds claim to the No. 1 class in the Big Ten this cycle, and sits only behind Georgia in the 247Sports Class Rankings — and they are far from finished.

The Buckeyes are hoping to add to their class later this week as five-star safety KJ Bolden is scheduled to commit August 5, and will be deciding between Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia and Ohio State. For a long time, Bolden’s recruitment has believed to be down to Georgia and Ohio State, but both Auburn and Florida State have come on strong as of late.

This is to say, it is anyone’s guess what Bolden will decide later this week, but the Buckeyes certainly are in the mix and are viewed as favorites to some. Bolden is one of the Buckeyes’ biggest remaining targets as the team is focusing on the defensive side of the ball to close things out.

While defense will be the primary focal point moving forward, don’t expect the team to completely forget about offense.

Ohio State offers four-star Miami WR commit​


If there is one certainty in college football recruiting, it is that nothing is certain until a recruit signs their name on the dotted line either during the Early Signing Period or on National Signing Day.

Ohio State was recently on the wrong side of this rule when 2025 five-star safety Jontae Gilbert de-commit from the team this past weekend. However, the Buckeyes also know this applies to every recruit committed to any program, and because of this, Ohio State recently offered 2024 four-star wide receiver and Miami commit, Chance Robinson (Fort Lauderdale, FL / St. Thomas Aquinas.)

Blessed to receive (an) offer from Ohio State University ! @CoachHarriott @IamGlennHolt @Dbrave_8 @brianhartline @STA_Football @Rivals @247Sports pic.twitter.com/An9oKWX1bw

— Chance J Robinson (@ChanceJRobinso1) July 31, 2023
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Robinson committed to Miami in April and has not hinted at swaying from his pledge. However, an offer from the Buckeyes is certainly something that would be tough for him to not at least consider.

Ohio State’s wide receiver room, led by Brian Hartline, has been the best in college football as of late — and this unarguable. Sending multiple first-rounders to the NFL is all the proof anybody needs, and recruits have taken notice. Because of this, when Ohio State offers a WR, they typically listen... even if they are committed elsewhere.

The Buckeyes are off to an incredible start building a WR haul in this cycle with commits from five-star WR’s Jeremiah Smith and Mylan Graham, but Hartline wants to add one or two more commits at the position. One of the program’s biggest targets at the position is four-star Jeremiah McClellan.

Ohio State has long been recruiting McClellan, and the team has been thought of as the leader in his recruitment for most of it. Ohio State also holds 100-percent of the 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions. However, as of late Oregon has been coming on strong for McClellan, and there is a realistic chance the Ducks have evened the score with the Buckeyes for McClellan. The offer to Robinson could be a direct result of this.

Or, the Buckeyes could just really like what they have seen of Robinson and they feel confidant on McClellan as well. Ohio State really wants to add one more commitment at the position, but would happily make room for both McClellan and Robinson if they both wanted to join the team.

It needs to be noted, McClellan recently took to social media to ask if Ohio State was his next “home.”

Home? #buckeyes #gobuckeyes pic.twitter.com/Xh2SIEN0ut

— Jeremiah Mcclellan (@jay_mac2481) July 31, 2023
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Robinson is the No. 23 WR prospect and is the No. 151 overall prospect. He is also the No. 23 recruit out of Florida. McClellan is the No. 18 WR and is the No. 108 overall prospect. He is also the No. 4 recruit out of Missouri.

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LGHL Ohio State Football Countdown: 33

Ohio State Football Countdown: 33
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

NCAA Football: Nebraska at Ohio State

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

One play or big moment per day as we count down to the start of Ohio State’s 2023 football season.

As we count down to the start of the 2023 season, we will be looking back at one play or big moment in Ohio State history over the past decade or so that corresponds to the remaining days left until Buckeyes take the field against Indiana on Sept. 2. There are 34 days remaining.

Play of the Day: Rod Smith’s 33-yard TD vs. Nebraska (2012)​


Despite spending four years in Columbus, Rod Smith’s Ohio State career never quite got off the ground, but he did still manage this impressive 33-yard touchdown run against Nebraska, breaking several tackles en route to the end zone. For Smith, it was one of eight career rushing TDs with the Buckeyes, compiling 549 yards on 107 carries during his time in scarlet and gray. Ohio State won this game with ease, 63-38, on the back of four rushing TDs by Carlos Hyde and two more scores from Braxton Miller — one passing, one rushing. Bradley Roby picked off two passes on the other end, taking one back for six.

Players to Wear the #33 (since 2010): ​

  • David Durham (2010-11)
  • Nic Sarac (2011-13)
  • Frank Epitropoulos (2012-13)
  • Dante Booker (2014-18)
  • Master Teague III (2017-21)
  • Chase Brecht (2022)
  • Jack Sawyer (2021-present)
  • Devin Brown (2022-present)

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LGHL Conspiracy Corner: Did Aaron Scott just pull off the longest troll job in recruiting history?

Conspiracy Corner: Did Aaron Scott just pull off the longest troll job in recruiting history?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

aaron_scott_andy0kaufman_troll_job.0.jpg

Masters of the long con Aaron Scott and Andy Kaufman | Left image: Aaron Scott’s Instagram | Right image: Images Press/IMAGES/Getty Images

Andy Kaufman — who is obviously not really dead — is probably very impressed with Scott’s performance.

Look, I am not a natural conspiracy theorist. I believe that Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. I believe that the Earth is round. I believe Elvis has been dead since 1977 and Tupac was murdered in 1996. I do not believe that the Holy Grail is actually the sacred bloodline of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. I do not believe that we are all actually living in a simulation. And I believe that the Denver International Airport is just an airport and not a secret bunker for the highest-ranking members of the New World Order to retreat to when they begin to rain down a fiery apocalypse on an unsuspecting global population.

But nonetheless, here I am, sitting at home on a late-July Sunday evening contemplating the fact that a newly committed Ohio State football prospect might have just pulled off the biggest long-term con job in the history of recruiting. As you almost certainly know by now, Springfield, Ohio native Aaron Scott chose the Buckeyes over Michigan and Oregon on Sunday. The No. 52 player in the country, No. 5 cornerback, and No. 2 player from Ohio according to 247Sports’ Composite Ratings, all of the crystal balls and recruiting prediction machines had Scott going to Ohio State, but the vibe around his recruitment was a fraught one for Buckeye fans.

As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, even though the experts were all focused on OSU as the destination for the talented corner (although no one felt super confident about it), his words and actions made everyone in Buckeye Nation understandably anxious. Earlier this month, when announcing his commitment day, Scott tweeted “shock da world,” and what would be more shocking for a top prospect from 45 minutes outside of Columbus than committing to Michigan? Then, two days later, he was spotted wearing Wolverine cleats at a 7-on-7 event in Dayton, adding more fuel to the fandom’s fears.

It’s almost that time kid.. shock da world! https://t.co/3l3VCNFcoS

— Aaron Scott JR (@AaronScottJr1) July 9, 2023
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Scott was one of the toughest prospects in recent memory to get a bead on because other than narrowing down his finalists to the Buckeyes, Wolverines, and Oregon Ducks, he gave precious few indications about where he was leaning, even up until the week of his commitment (more on that in a second).

However, one of the first signs that Scott was bound to be a Buckeye was the choice of commitment day. You could assume that the rising senior just wanted to make his pledge on July 30 so that he could focus his attention on his last season as a high school football player, and that would be completely valid. But, July 30 also happens to be his father’s birthday, and his father is a huge Ohio State fan.

If Scott was seriously going to commit to Michigan, would he do it on his Buckeye-loving dad’s birthday? While I am sure that Mr. Scott would have eventually accepted the Wolverines into his heart if Aaron decided to go there — at least for as long as he was on the team — it would be a pretty brutal birthday gift to make your dad sit at the table next to you while you chose to play for his hated rival.

To be fair, we here at LGHL have been secretly suspecting a troll job for well over a month. Our recruiting analyst (and Michigan state-champion high school football coach) Caleb Houser raised the possibility in our Slack channel before Scott’s June 23 official visit to Columbus.



Following his commitment, Scott said that it was that visit and being on hand when Ohio’s No. 1 prospect, fellow cornerback Bryce West, committed to the Buckeyes that moved OSU ahead of TTUN. And while that might be true, Scott’s comments to reporters don’t always line up, even after his decision was revealed.

In the same media availability Sunday night, the cornerback said that he didn’t make his decision until Sunday morning, backing up tweets from earlier in the week that indicated that he wasn’t yet ready to make a decision, and yet, on Friday — two days before his announcement — he sat down with Rival’s Jeremy Birmingham to detail his decision to become a Buckeye.

Was he just trying to keep the secret under wraps or was it part of a months-long troll job against Michigan? Why would he tell reporters that he made the decision on Sunday if days earlier he gave an interview explaining why he made the decision? The only thing I can think is that either he is so caught up in the con that he forgot that he could now drop the act, or he just wanted to twist the knife into Michigan one more time.

Aaron Scott has committed to Ohio State. Sat down a few days ago with him at his school and he broke down his choice on a special commitment episode of Birminology.https://t.co/FYOQBCTL8F

— Jeremy Birmingham (@Birm) July 30, 2023
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In fairness, we weren’t the only people who thought that Scott could be trolling the Wolverine fans and coaches. Last week, a Michigan YouTuber rightly said that there was nearly no chance that Aaron picked the Maize and Blue, saying it was 98% for Ohio State and just 2% for Michigan.

He even asked his viewers to provide any explanation for Scott’s actions other than the fact that he was trolling, and nobody could do it. So, while it is against my nature to give credit to any Michigan Man, it does seem like Mark Rogers got this one exactly right. Even a blind muskrat finds a nut every once in a while.


But, if his months of misdirects, misleading comments, and mind games aren’t enough for you to believe that Scott has been trolling Michigan this whole time, I give you my final piece of inculpatory evidence: Aaron Scott’s actual commitment event.

Scott, flanked by his parents, sat at the center of a table with an Oregon hat and bookbag on his right, a Michigan hat and bag in front of him, and an OSU hat and bag to his left. Now, if you are a disciple of Hat Science™️, you know that the hat in the middle is never chosen, meaning that Buckeye fans should have felt pretty good about their options on Sunday evening.

Nevertheless, Scott went through with his pre-planned charade. First, he eliminated the Oregon gear — despite the fact that he said this week that he grew up a Ducks fan — then, he picked up the Ohio State stuff and went to don the hat, only to discard that as well, leaving only the Michigan merch. But friends, if you have watched these commitment announcements over the years, surely you knew this was not the end. In fact, as soon as the props were placed on the table, you should have been asking yourself, “Self, why does Aaron Scott have bookbags on the table in addition to hats?”

That would have been a very good question, because — with only the maize and blue hat and bag remaining on the table — instead of putting on the Block M hat and declaring his intention to play for the next three or four years in Ann Arbor, Scott picked up the Michigan bag, opened the pocket, and pulled out an Ohio State jersey that he promptly put it on to complete his commitment and the trolling of his new team’s biggest rival.

Aaron Scott had one of the more entertaining Ohio State commitment announcements I can remember, complete with smoke effects and faking out the room he was going to Michigan. pic.twitter.com/Xdg4jRKRnd

— Garrick Hodge (@Garrick_Hodge) July 30, 2023
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Look, I am not one to question a 17-year-old’s honesty, so if Scott says that he was truly considering Michigan throughout this process even up until Sunday morning, who am I to call him a liar (even if his public statements about when he made his decision were demonstrably false)? But, if Kyrie Irving, RFK Jr., or Ye asked me for my honest opinion, I would tell them that I think this was nothing more than a lifelong Buckeye fan sticking it to his favorite team’s bitter rivals.

”Ohio State showed me a whole lot of love,” Scott told Bucknuts’ Bill Kurelic. “Ryan Day reminded me how I love Ohio State. It’s family there, it’s all love.”

Could the OSU head coach have reminded Scott of that love during his official visit last month? Last week? Sunday morning? Perhaps, but look at the prospect’s recruitment graphic. In addition to the recruiting images wearing official Buckeye team gear, there are photos of a young Aaron Scott decked out in scarlet and gray.



View this post on Instagram​


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Growing up less than an hour away from Ohio Stadium with a dad who loves the Buckeyes, in retrospect, it’s hard to imagine Aaron Scott going anywhere else, but for a good long while, he had a lot of people convinced — or at least concerned — that he was bound for Ann Arbor.

In fairness, in the video above, Scott told Birm that he did — in fact — make his decision at some point last week and that it was his late-June visit to Columbus that flipped him from the Dark Side to the light. In the super-secret Friday interview, Scott explained his thought process in coming to his ultimate conclusion, so perhaps Occam’s razor holds true here and if I take off the tinfoil hat and stop my own little bit of trolling, I can concede that Scott probably did have a really tough time picking between OSU and TTUN… but you never know, maybe he didn’t.

In the end, whether this was as difficult of a decision as Scott has said it was or it was all an elaborate Andy Kaufman-style ruse designed to embarrass the Michigan program, frustrate their fans, and force them to waste time and resources on a prospect they never had a real chance at landing, we might never know, but either way, it’s nice to finally be able to officially welcome Aaron Scott into the 2024 Ohio State recruiting class.

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